Brown lobbies to have Lifeline added to triple-0 service

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The Greens leader, Bob Brown, will seek Opposition support to
amend the Telstra privatisation legislation to force the company to
add the number of the country's only 24-hour phone crisis
counselling service, Lifeline, to its free triple-0 service.

Senator Brown made the decision after the Herald revealed
last week that the Federal Government had refused to support the
NSW Liberal senator John Tierney's private member's bill to make
Lifeline's 13 11 14 crisis number part of Telstra's universal
service obligation.

The amendment, which would be introduced after the Government
takes control of the Senate on July 1, would need only two
Coalition senators to cross the floor for it to become law.
National Party senators and Family First have expressed concerns
about the level of service provided by Telstra, especially in rural
areas.

The amendment would include the number for Kids Helpline, the
only national 24-hour phone counselling service for young people in
distress.

"People should know that a fully privatised Telstra will shed
this sponsorship in the future. It needs to be legislated upfront
so that shareholders know that this is an ongoing community
responsibility that Telstra will have," Senator Brown said.

Telstra had planned to end its sponsorship of Lifeline on June
30, but reversed its decision after days of adverse publicity and
political pressure.